Bulgaria selects ‘Sneakers’ for Oscars

Film won special mention at Moscow Film Festival

MOSCOW — Bulgaria’s entry for the foreign-language Oscar is “Sneakers,” a debut by directors Valeri Yordanov and Ivan Vladimirov, the country’s national film center announced Thursday.

Film, about six youngsters escaping the dreary city for a long summer break on clean, pristine beaches, won a special mention last year at the Moscow Film Festival.

Released in Bulgaria in October of last year, the pic features co-director Yordanov as one of the half dozen hedonistic youngsters and has proved popular on the festival circuit.

Karlovy Vary, where it played in the East of the West competition slot in July, dubbed it “a testimony infused with contagious energy reflecting the authentic statement of a generation. It is also proof that Bulgaria’s up-and-coming directors, whose films have enjoyed an increasing presence at important international film festivals in recent years, will continue to make their mark.”

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the five nominees for foreign-language film on Jan. 15. The 85th Academy Awards ceremony takes place Feb. 24.